Automatic handling and transportation device for a printer housing

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic handling and transportation device for a printer housing. The device comprises a basic mobile unit movable on a first route and at least one handling unit mounted on the basic mobile unit. The handling unit includes a support for guiding and supporting housings born on a second route parallel to a housing-bearing assembly on a printing machine, able to be aligned with the same and an grasping/holding device, adapted to hold a housing and move it on the second route between a transferral position in which the grasping/holding device interacts with the housing installed on the housing-bearing assembly, and a transportation position in which the housing, held by the grasping/holding device is on the support, and vice-versa.

1. An automatic handling and transportation device for printer housings comprising: a support, for support of the housings able to be positioned in alignment with a housing-bearing assembly and in proximity with it, and a grasping/holding device adapted to be displaced between i) a transferal position in which said grasping/holding device interacts with said housing installed on said housing-bearing assembly to grasp or free it and ii) a transportation position in which the housing held by the grasping/holding device is on the support;
 a basic mobile unit associated with a first means of displacement arranged to displace said basic mobile unit on a first route; and at least one handling unit mounted on said basic mobile unit, said handling unit including said support, which is held in a jutting position on a second route, transverse to said first route and parallel to said housing-bearing assembly mounted in a jutting position on a printing machine, and a second means of displacement arranged to displace said grasping/holding device on said second route in relation to the support, 
 wherein the basic mobile unit moves along guide means which extend on said first horizontal route along a stretch which includes a first transfer area in which said handling unit mounted on the basic mobile unit operates to exchange housings with said printing machine, and at least a second transfer area in which the support on the handling unit mounted on the basic mobile unit is able to be positioned in alignment with a housing support installed on a transportation unit or in a place of storage, said handling unit operating to exchange housings with said transportation unit or with said place; wherein a single handling unit is mounted on the basic mobile unit, and fitted with third means of displacement to move the handling unit in relation to the basic mobile unit on a third, vertical route, transverse to the first and second routes. 
 
   
   
     2. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein several handling units are mounted on the basic mobile unit in fixed positions in which the respective supports are at a height coinciding with the height of several housing-bearing assemblies on the printing machine, or supports on the transportation unit, or the place of storage. 
   
   
     3. The device, according to  claim 2 , wherein several housing-bearing assemblies on the printing machine comprise all of the housing-bearing assemblies arranged on one side of the support drum of the printing machine. 
   
   
     4. The device, according to  claim 3 , wherein said fixed positions on several handling units on the basic mobile unit are vertically aligned. 
   
   
     5. The device, according to  claim 2 , wherein said fixed positions of the various handling units on the basic mobile unit are such that the respective supports can be aligned at once with various housing-bearing assemblies on the printing machine or supports on the transportation unit, or the place of storage. 
   
   
     6. The device, according to  claim 5 , wherein various housing-bearing assemblies on the printing machine comprise all of the housing-bearing assemblies on both sides of a support drum on the printing machine. 
   
   
     7. The device, according to  claim 6 , wherein the supports on the transportation unit and/or the place of storage are in identical positions relative to the housing-bearing assemblies on the printing machine. 
   
   
     8. The device, according to  claim 2 , wherein said transportation unit comprises a raising and lowering device activated by a means of activation and arranged to lower the supports to heights suitable for handling the housings, and for raising the supports to said heights coinciding with the height of the supports of the various handling units mounted on the basic mobile unit in fixed positions. 
   
   
     9. The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the basic mobile unit comprises a lower section fitted with wheels in contact with at least one way which forms part of said guide-means on the first route at least one of said wheels being a tractor wheel activated by a motor and an elevated section which supports the handling unit. 
   
   
     10. The device, according to  claim 9 , wherein a basic mobile unit also comprises an upper section fitted with wheels in contact with at least one upper way which forms part of the guide means on the first route. 
   
   
     11. The device, according to  claim 10 , wherein said upper way has associated with it, along the length of the same, at least one electrical supply conducting track and/or control signals and said upper section of the basic mobile unit including a dynamic electrical current input device to supply said electrical current and/or signals from said track. 
   
   
     12. The device, according to  claim 11 , wherein said positioning device on the first route also includes at least one photoelectric sensor connected to said electronic processing means for control of the activation of said first means of displacement in order to refine the positioning carried out by said detector. 
   
   
     13. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein said second means of displacement comprises guide means on the second route, adjacent to the support, with which is associated a saddle to which is connected the grasping/holding device, and a motor connected and arranged to move said saddle along said guide means. 
   
   
     14. The device, according to  claim 13 , further comprising means of transference arranged to transfer said support on said second route in order to bring the furthest extremity of the support close to the furthest extremity of the housing-bearing assembly or support when the support is in alignment with the same. 
   
   
     15. The device, according to  claim 14 , wherein said means of transfer comprises guide means on the second route, with which is associated a saddle to which is fixed an extremity of the support, and a motor connected and arranged to move said saddle along said guide means. 
   
   
     16. The device, according to  claim 15 , wherein said guide means, along which said saddle moves, bears the grasping/holding device fixed to said saddle, bearing the support and moving along the same. 
   
   
     17. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein said grasping/holding device comprises a tubular body mounted to slide along the support and provided with an external surface at one extremity arranged to couple with the internal surface of an extremity of the housing facing a section of the smaller diameter of the housing-bearing assembly or support, and at least one bore through said tubular body, open at said external surface. 
   
   
     18. The device, according to  claim 17 , wherein said means of activation of the grasping/holding device comprises first valves arranged to connect said bore to a source of compressed air, with which it facilitates a slight dilation of the extremity of the housing for said coupling and then disconnecting the bore from said source of compressed air, facilitating recovery of the form of the extremity of the housing and a tightening of the furthest extremity of the tubular body. 
   
   
     19. The device, according to  claim 18 , wherein said valves are also arranged to connect said bore to a vacuum source once disconnected from the source of compressed air. 
   
   
     20. The device, according to  claim 18 , wherein the first valves connect alternatively with second valves arranged to connect injection nozzles incorporated into the housing-bearing assembly or support to a source of compressed air in order to create an air cushion between the housing and the housing-bearing assembly or support with which to facilitate a sliding movement between the two. 
   
   
     21. The device, according to  claim 17 , wherein the first valves connect alternatively with second valves arranged to connect injection nozzles incorporated into the housing-bearing assembly or support to a source of compressed air in order to create an air cushion between the housing and the housing-bearing assembly or support with which to facilitate a sliding movement between the two. 
   
   
     22. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein said third means of displacement comprises guide means, arranged on the third route along an elevated section of the basic mobile unit, with which is associated a saddle on which is mounted a handling unit, and a motor connected and arranged to move said saddle along said guide means. 
   
   
     23. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein the support has the form of a mandril in a jutting position and incorporates at least one radial centering device to align the housings coaxially with the support. 
   
   
     24. The device, according to  claim 23 , wherein said radial centering device includes at least two pivoting arms, each with a wheel mounted at its furthest point activated by an actuator to project from the external surface of the support or to be hidden inside the same. 
   
   
     25. The device, according to  claim 1 , further comprising a positioning device on the first route comprising at least one detector selected from the group consisting of a telemeter, a codifier and an optical gauge, connected to an electronic processing means adapted to control the activation of said first means of displacement. 
   
   
     26. The device, according to  claim 1 , further comprising a positioning device in third route made up of a detector selected from the group consisting of a telemeter, a codifier or an optical gauge connected to an electronic positioning means adapted to control the activation of said third means of displacement. 
   
   
     27. The device, according to  claim 26 , wherein said positioning device on the first route also includes at least one photoelectric sensor connected to said electronic positioning means for controlling the activation of the third means of displacement in order to refine the positioning carried out by said detector. 
   
   
     28. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein said handling unit is mounted on said basic mobile unit by means of a means of rotation arranged to rotate the handling unit in relation to the basic mobile unit around an axis parallel to the third vertical route, transverse to the first and second routes, and at a predetermined angle with respect to the second route. 
   
   
     29. The device, according to  claim 1  wherein said support has the form of a mandril in a jutting position with the furthest extremity able to be facing, with or without contact, said housing-bearing assembly. 
   
   
     30. The device, according to  claim 1 , wherein said support has the form of a cradle with an extremity able to be situated in alignment with said housing-bearing assembly.